Internal-combustion-engine water-heater.



' C. L. C. MAGEE. INTERNAL COMBUSTIONIENGINE WATER HEATER- AYPPLIC'ATION FILED FEB. 1. 1917.

1,242,71 1. Patented Oct. 9,1917

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R\ an mum INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GHAUNGEY L. c. MAGEE, or CHICAGO,"ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR or ONE-THIRD T Edwin 1'. SMITH AND ONE-THIRD TO GEORGE ROBERT QUIN, BOTH or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

INTERNAL-GOMBUSTION-ENGINE WATER-HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 1, 1917. Serial ltd-145,986.

and resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a certain new and use-.

ful Improvement in Internal-Combustion- Engine Water-Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for heating the water that circulates through the water-jacket of an internal-combustion-englue, such as those used on automobiles,

when the engine is not running, thereby .to prevent the water from freezing in cold weather. i

Generally stated, .the object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved device. ofthls kind, which can be operated by electricity with very little expense, and which can be manufactured cheaply and easily installed on an automobile.

It is also an object to provide an electric heater of this kind which will keep the water circulating'in the radiator and waterjacket of the engine while the engine is not running. t

It is also'an object to: provide certain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general efficiency and desirability of an electric water-heating device of this particular character. I

To the foregoing and other useful ends,

' my invention consists in matters hereinafter Set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of an automobile, illustrating the engine and radiator and connections for circulating the water to cool the engine, and showing the same equi ped with an electric heater embodying t e principles of my invention.

Fi 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of said heating device.

Fig. 3 is a perspective of the lowerpornr portion of the radiator, to which the electric heater is applied, showing the outer end or" said heater.

As thus illustrated, the engine A has a water-jacket of the usual character, and is connected by pipes 1 and 2 with the radiator B, which latter may be of any suitahlecharacter. Said radiator is equipped with an electric heating device C inserted the wait thereof at or near the bottom of, the radiator, so that practically the whole length of. the heater is immersed in water. This heater comprises a metal shell or casing 3 having Patented Oct. 9," 1917.

its outer end formed with a flange 4:, which flange is clamped to the opening 4 the radiator by means of a bushing 5 and nuts 6 and 7, so that awater-tight joint is provided. A plug 8 of suitable insulating ma terial fills the outer end of said casing and carries the core 9 for the coil or heating unit 10, which latter has its ends connected with the metal terminals 11 in said plug; A tierod '12 extends longitudinally of said core, passing through said plug and the inner endof the casing, and is provided at its inner end with a head which is drawn against the inner end of the casing by the nut 13 on the outer end of said rod, which nut is tightened up against said-plug, and whereby the heating element is supported within the casing with space all aroundthe coil to prevent contact thereof with the metal casing, which latter can be of aluminum or any other suitable material. Electric connection is fo med by a cap 14 provided with contacts 15 to engage the terminals 11, in any suitable or well-known manner, so that the cord 16. leading to this cap will have the two electric conductors thereof.

suitably connected in circuit with the coil when the cap is pushed onto the outerend cold weather. When the engine is running,

the water is sufficiently heated thereby, and

at such time the electric connection can he opened by the removal of the cap it, therebi disconnectin the electric heater from b the source of current, which latter can he of any suitable character. In some cases the storage battery of. the automobile can he.

used to furnish the current, and in other cases the current from a power station can be employed for this purpose.

White the automobile is in use, so thattho engine is heating the water, the outer end of the electric heater G can becovered or protected by a cap similar to the cap 1 L, except that it will not have any electric conductors leading therefrom. When the'heater is to be operated,-this blind cap, so cal ed, can be re- I moved topermit the attachment of the cap 14 in the manner previously, explained.

From the foregoing-it will be seen that the invention provides in an economical and simple manner for the electric heating of the water which is employed for cooling the internal-combustion-engine of an automobile, while the engine is'not running, and during cold, weather, thus safeguarding the 1nachine against freezing of the water. As stated, the water will not only be-heated by the heater C, but will also becirculated ture of the water from falling below a oer:

' scribed, an opening can be drilled or'cut in tain point while the machine isstanding in a cold place. v With the construction shown and dethe wall of the radiator, of an ordinary auto-. mobile, for the bushing 5, and for the inser tion of said bushing in such opening a larger opening D can be made in the other wall of the radiator directly opposite the location of the heater, so that said bushing can be introduced into the radiator (through ,the opening D which is larger than the flange of said bushing) and then. inserted through the opening in the front wall of the radiator to receive the nut 7 by which it is clamped in place. After the heater is installed, a plug (1 can be screwed into the opening D to close the latter.

It will be seen that the draw-bolt 12 draws t-he'element 8 intoposition to close the mouth of the tube 3, which latter is closed at its inner end and engaged by the end of the bolt. The cushion 5' and out 7 constitute means for clamping the radiator wall to permit ready withdrawal fromthe tube outward from the radiator, when such is necessary or desirable. There are provisions, it will be seen, for example the opening-,D and the plug d, and the nut 7 and the bushing 5, whereby not only the tube 3, but also said bushing 5, are readily removable from and insertible in the radiator. Thus the device can be applied to any radiator, by simply cutting a hole therein, and does not have to be incorporated inthe structure dur--. ing the manufacture, of the radiator.

It will be understood, however, that the heater can be applied to the radiator or any other portion of the means for containing the water which cools the engine, and I do not limit myself to the exact construction shown anddescribed.

What I claim asmy invention is 1. In an automobile-radiatoreelectrio-heating-device, a sheet-metal tube closed at its inner end and inserted through the wall of the radiator, so that the tube is immersed in the liquid at the bottom of the radiator, a heat-generating resistance inside of' said tube, an element to close the outer end of said tube, a draw-bolt. secured to the inner end of said tube and extending axially thereof and pas'sing through said element, a nut on the outer end of said'bolt, whereby tightening of said nut'draws said element into place to seal the outer end of said tube, means on said element to establish electrical connection "with said resistance, and means to engage the inner and outer surfaces of the radiator wall to clamp the tube upon said wall and permit ready Withdrawal of said tube outward from the radiator.

2. The structure of claim 1, as stated, having provisions for the insertion and removal of said clamping means.

v 3. The structure of claim 1, as stated,.in which said clamping means include a flange integral with said tube.

Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, this 20th day of January, 1917.

CHAUNCEY L. C. -MAGEE. 

